


Sweet water

by apple_m00n



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: First Date, Hugh being a bit edgy don't mind me, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I suck at tagging, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Nate is in a swim club, but it's sort of a date, but not a real date, pretty gay, they're in school in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 02:35:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17840774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apple_m00n/pseuds/apple_m00n
Summary: Nate loves swimming. It's what he does on a daily basis, which even earned him a spot in his school's swimming team and made him quite popular, especially with the girls. But then there's his friend, Hugh, who just wishes for Nate to take some time off to spend time with him and him exclusively.aka a fanfic that happened thanks to me watching too much Free! and thinking about the swimming stuff Nate wears underneath his shirt and shorts





	Sweet water

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a silly idea I got from thinking about why Nate is wearing a swimsuit underneath his clothes and because I love these two
> 
>  
> 
> This isn't beta read because I'm too lazy for that so excuse some mistakes sksksksksk

Hugh sighed deeply when he looked at the time of the subway's clock. Nate was late, or forgot about their meeting entirely, like two times prior that week already to swim. Sure, it made Hugh happy that his friend had something other than Pokémon to be passionate about, but sometimes he's so focused on his swimming that he forgets everything around him. Time, people, the current date, just everything but the sweet, sweet water that he calls his second home.

With a huff, the blue haired teen crushed the empty coffee cup made out of cardboard in his hand and threw it onto the rails, being scolded by some random guy, it was nothing but gibberish to Hugh though thanks to the music playing through his earbuds. The angered trainer shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and stomped out of the subway station to make his way back to the school. It wasn't too far away since they originally planned to meet at the station after school had ended to go to a small concert in Virbank's gym, but that plan had vanished by now since Nate just had to forget about it. Again. God if Nate wouldn't have that cute smile when he apologized, Hugh swore he would punch him.

Maybe.  


Meanwhile, Nate was peacefully swimming around in the school's pool. Well, floating. This couldn't even be called training, but he was the only one that was in the pool after school anyway, and since he was in the swim team, he was even allowed to do it without a teacher around. On top of that, he's the proud co-captain of their team since like two weeks, so he even had a key for the indoor pool, meaning that he could stay in it as long as he wanted to, which was something he did. His hazelnut colored eyes were staring at the ceiling, the rays of sunlight tickling the bits of bare skin that were above the water while he felt as light as a feather with his body defying gravity, which was what he called it at least.

He wasn't the only one in the school at this time of the day though, other club members of the cheerleaders for example were still there from time to time, but the ones that came to visit him on their way home were either some girls of the drama club or the photography club, who were walking through the door in the exact moment he thought about them, what a coincidence. He didn't mind them taking pictures or asking him to try and play scenes to practice for each of the two clubs, but he wasn't particularly interested in them as well. His grades might not be the best, but he's not too dumb to understand when somebody is flirting with him.

Or was he?

Of course he was. Not in the girls' case though, he got somewhat used to that, but he never noticed the attempts of approaching him of somebody that has the same gender as he does. And the same age. And goes to the same school. And is in most of his classes. And knows him since kindergarten.

Nate's obnoxiousness was nothing but frustrating for Hugh. Nate was cute. Not too tall, like 99% of the guys getting their growth spurts that make them as tall as Cobalion, gorgeous brown eyes, smooth brunette hair, an overall trained but not overly muscular body, just cute. Pretty cute. And that was what drove Hugh crazy once the hormones attacked him and were shoving the thought of finding his closest friend attractive into his hotheaded mind. Ever since then, since the day he finally accepted his feelings, he's been trying to drop subtle hints about it or tried to spend some time alone with Nate, but this one thing that the brunette cared about so much more than about everything else ruined his plans of confessing his love.

Stupid swimming, stupid sport in general! It didn't help that Hugh knew little to nothing about any kind of sport since the only 'exercise' he was occasionally doing was either going for a run /when he was angry) or defeat wild Pokémon with his Oshawott (also when he was mad), so when Nate began to ramble about regionals or nationals and around five million types of swimming (at least that's what it felt like for Hugh), all the bluenette could do was nod. That is, if he was able to talk to his friend at all.

Hugh groaned when he saw four girls sitting around Nate on the ground in front of the pool, probably asking him to pose again to take some of their stupid photos for their club. For the club, sure. Nate didn't look uncomfortable, though he had told Hugh that it was a bit much to strike poses for Arceus knows how many pictures almost every day.

Hugh took a deep breath, then slammed the door open, startling the five people sitting on the ground, the girls giving him a frown and some glares while Nate looked relieved, then like he was in deep thought, and lastly like he knew that he definitely fucked up.

"...Oh." was all the brunette said, receiving a scoff from Hugh. "Don't you 'oh' me! This is the third time this week. The third. Time. Nate." the blue haired teen complained with his arms crossed. The swimming fanatic got up and excused himself to walk over to Hugh, clearing his throat so his voice wouldn't crack like it did way too often, oh sweet puberty changing his voice.

"I...forgot? Sorry?" Nate tried, and there was the cute smile that Hugh had to think of earlier. "Well no shit! I even bought you coffee but then drank but cups alone..I looked like a junkie!"

"Well technically-" Nate started, being interrupted by a glare from the biggest caffeine addict he knew himself, making him mutter a 'nothing' under his breath as he coughed slightly once more to make his voice less high pitched.

Hugh exhaled another deep sigh, the guilt in Nate's eyes softening his angered expression despite his attempt to stay strong. "Whatever, it's too late now anyway. The next train to Virbank arrives in 40 minutes, but the concert would have started already by the time we'd arrive." the taller trainer said with a shrug and kicked a kickboard, which fell onto the ground, making the co-captain roll his eyes as he picked it up and placed it on the bench it laid on before again.

"I already said I'm sorry dude! What else do you wat me to d-"

"I want you to stop ditching me, it's not that hard Nate!" Hugh almost yelled, cutting the other boy off before he could finish his sentence who looked away with the same guilt as before whilst chewing on his lower lip.

Said boy ran a hand through his wet hair and dared to look at his childhood friend again, who was looking more frustrated and hurt than angered and like he was about to punch somebody, which was a pretty rare sight on Hugh. He wouldn't want anyone else to see him like this, that's for sure, so Nate turned around to tell the girls to continue their photo session on the next day, only to see that nobody was there except for Hugh and himself.

"What...about tomorrow?" the brunette suggested, reaching for a hair tie that was placed on the same bench as the kickboard to tie his hair into a ponytail since it wasn't the most pleasant feeling to have all of his hair sticking to his forehead.

Hugh watched him closely, so close that it could be called staring, but he preferred to say that he was simply 'gazing just a little bit' at Nate, who gave his friend a raised eyebrow after he finished tying his hair together, one hand resting on his lean waist while he was awaiting a response, only receiving a little cough from the teen in front of him who was averting his eyes now and- is that a blush?

"Yea...yea, whatever, sure, just don't forget it again or I'm forced to search a new person I can drag into doing dumb and reckless shit!" Hugh warned, earning himself a determined nod from his swimming loving friend who was currently tying a knot with the two ends of the drawstring of his bright orange trunks. "After school! Just meet me at that coffee shop at the subway!" he cheerfully declared, now having both hands on his hips.

Hugh tried to look unimpressed, but the redness on his cheeks just grew even brighter, so he quickly turned around and waved when he started to walk towards the exit. "Mhm, sounds good, bye!" he said a bit louder so Nate would still understand him despite the two of them not facing each other.

"Wait, you wanna swim together??" the smaller trainer called out, just getting a loud 'NO' as an answer that sounded much more aggressive than what Hugh wanted it to sound like.

  
The next day arrived without the two of them talking a single time during school, resulting in Nate mainly talking to his teammates, who were asking why he wasn't with Hugh since the two of them were usually inseparable, and Hugh walking around with his earbuds in most of the time. But after school, it was the same as the day before, and the day before that, and the day before those two, except for Hugh sitting leaned against the subways's wall this time, the coffee in his hand was there once again though, a second cup standing on the ground next to him. The train was about to arrive, in around three, maybe four minutes to be more specific. The spiky haired boy stared up at the ceiling, watching some Pidove flying from one steel girder toward the next one that was across the room, only to sit down on that one and then repeat the same action again and again. It was a back and forth, and Hugh hated how much it reminded him of himself and Nate: an endless back and forth without it making much sense.

The bluenette sighed and sunk down against the wall a bit more, one arm resting on his knee after he threw his emptied paper cup onto the ground, only receiving a weird glare from a stranger instead of getting a lecture that he didn't care about anyway like the day before. His other arm reached out to grab the second cup, his piercing amber eyes giving it a quick stare before he moved it to his lips to blow some cold air onto it, though it probably had cooled down enough already while he drank his own coffee. Though, honestly, both were his own.

Hugh took a sip from it, but cringed from the taste of it. Three tea spoons of sugar and lots of milk, that's what Nate wanted his coffee with, while he himself preferred a completely black coffee with a bit of sugar, on some days he drank it without anything at all. But that was Nate, being the sweet tooth he was, Hugh didn't even know what he had expected his friend to want. It's even worse that he remembered what the brunette always ordered because he now had to gulp down this sickeningly sweet beverage for the fourth time in a row because of the same. damn. reason.

Nate.

He was probably having fun, too. Ditching his childhood friends for all the girls that wanted to get laid or some shit like that. Not that Hugh hasn't thought about that, he's just a teenager as well, but the obviousness in the make-up and mimic those girls had looked like they were trying to get a job in some-

"...Ugh, it's not even their fault." he mumbled to himself, taking another swig of the bittersweet (more like sweetsweet) drink, knowing very well that what he just said was a huge lie he told himself to calm his thoughts.

With another sip of the half-coffee-half-sugar mix, Hugh had enough and got up, running his fingers through his Qwilfish lookalike hair. The train still hasn't arrived, was probably running late once again, just like somebody else he knew way too well o tell himself that he's just _late_. He did a 180° turn on his feet and began to walk toward the stairs again, unable to not choke from the sight he saw rushing down the stairway into his direction.

Still coughing from the coffee he nearly died from, Hugh tried to look down at Nate without too much surprise in his eyes, but that was just as impossible as the snickering that bubbled up in him at the sight of Nate carrying stuff like pool noodles and diving goggles which were attached to his backpack around.

"Sorry!! It took me long to convince Hilbert, the captain, to lemme take some stuff with me!" Nate apologized, panting like he just ran a marathon, but he really wasn't the most athletic person on the land, though he was like a Mantine in the water. "..'s that mine?" he asked and pointed at the coffee cup that Hugh was holding, who gave it to his friend with an amused look on his face.

"First of all: damn, you really came. Second, how did you get the stuff and...why?" Hugh asked, his amusement being replaced with confusion, earning a snort from Nate who emptied the overly sweet drink in one or two gulps, proceeding to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand afterwards.

"To swim of course!" Nate proudly said, not even noticing the stares of the people around them, and while Hugh did, he couldn't care less. Because there was that damn smile. This stupid smile that only he had, that only _Nate_ had.

"And I told him I have a date."

The brunette casually said, way too casually for something like that, something that made Hugh's cheeks flush a soft shade of red, on which the other boy just laughed and walked past his friend, though said friend could feel a hand grabbing his right after the brown haired teen had passed him. "Come on, if you're the reason that we're missing the train then you'll pay for the food later on!" Nate said and tugged Hugh into the train, which he didn't even notice before.

"Hey, you still owe me three coffees!" the taller teen shot back, sitting down with Nate flopping down beside him.

"Not my fault you bought 'em!" the swimmer replied, sticking his tongue out, making his friend laugh softly.

...

"Hey Nate?"

"Hm?"

"Did you tell your captain who that 'date' is with?" Hugh asked, bending both of his middle- and index fingers when he said the word 'date'.

"Why should I lie about who I'm having a _date_ with?" Nate answered the question with a question, resulting in Hugh staring out of the window for a few seconds before turning back to the other boy.

"Huh...so we're on a-"

Hugh started, but was interrupted by a pair of lips that tasted like sweet coffee being pressed onto his own.

Some things might not go back and forth only as it seems, except for the waves of the sweet, sweet water that Nate likes to call his second home. But that was fine, because it seemed like there was some space left in that home.


End file.
